


Vanishing Act

by avalonjoan



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Caretaking, Gen, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Sickfic, sophomore year, they're not together yet but lets be honest these boys have loved each other for a while
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 08:35:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6604117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avalonjoan/pseuds/avalonjoan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack isn't in class, so Bitty checks on him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vanishing Act

Bitty wasn’t worried when Jack disappeared after morning practice without a word. Jack hadn’t played particularly well, and he was always hardest on himself. After being allowed a few hours of brooding, Bitty figured he would be back to his usual self. But then Jack didn’t show up to their Women, Food, and American Culture class at eleven. No matter how bad practice had gone, Jack never missed class. Bitty started to worry.

Class ended and Bitty went back to the Haus, stopping at Jack’s room before going to his own. He knocked, calling the other’s name. After waiting a few seconds, Bitty turned to unlock his room when Jack’s door flew open. The older man squinted in the light of the hallway, running his fingers through his hair, which was sticking up on one side.

“I slept through class,” he said, sounding confused.

Bitty nodded. “It looks like you could have used a few more hours,” he commented, reaching out and pressing his palm against the side of Jack’s neck, just below his ear. His thumb rested against Jack’s cheek as he felt the other’s skin—not too warm. “Are you feeling okay?”

“It’s nothing,” Jack said. His voice was noticeably rougher than it had been this morning. He cleared his throat, and Bitty pulled his hand away as the other turned to the side and coughed. “What did I miss?”

Doing his best to respect Jack’s apparent wish to completely ignore the fact that he was sick, Bitty replied, “It was phenomenal. She talked about World War Two, and rationing, and how that changed cooking, like, it started with sugar, but did you know that butter and jam and a whole bunch of other things were rationed, too?”

Jack shook his head and smiled just a little, leaning on the doorframe while Bitty talked.   “Any homework for Thursday?”

“No, but she did change the due dates for our last two papers—I have the dates written down, hang on.” Bitty took his backpack off and set it on the floor, taking out his notebook. When Jack beckoned him into the room and took a seat at the desk, Bitty followed. He perched himself on one corner of the desk as Jack opened his laptop and pulled up his calendar. Reading out the changes, Bitty watched as Jack clicked and dragged the event reminders to the new dates.  

Jack pointing at one of the dates on the screen, and Bitty hopped off the desk to get a better view. “And we’re still on for you teaching me how to make pie next Wednesday, right?”

Bitty nodded excitedly. “Of course! So long as you’re feeling better.”

“I’ll be fine,” Jack said. His statement was immediately undermined by the fact that he started coughing again, tucking his head toward his shoulder. Bitty put his hand on his captain’s back, rubbing slow circles over the material of his sweatshirt. His phone buzzed in his pocket but he ignored it, waiting until Jack managed a not-at-all-convincing ‘I’m fine, really,’ before taking a look at the message.

“Ah!” he gasped, quickly typing a reply. “I’m late for lunch with Chowder. You’re welcome to join us, if you want.”

Jack waved Bitty toward the door. “Go eat. I’ve got a paper due at five that needs some more work, but I can do dinner after that.”

“I’ll see you then,” Bitty said with a smile, zipping up his backpack in the doorway, “Feel better.”

“Thanks, Bittle.” Leaving the door open behind him, Bitty called out one final goodbye before rushing to meet his younger teammate. Even though he could hear the other coughing as he went down the stairs, he was less worried now.

 

* * *

 

The ache behind his eyes started around four, and Jack decided shortly after that the paper wasn’t going to get any better. He emailed it to the professor and folded his arms atop the desk, resting his head against the crook of his elbow. He had planned on taking care of a few other assignments after the Tylenol he’d taken kicked in, but when he opened his eyes, the room was dark. Not only had the sun gone down, but his bedroom door was closed now, keeping the light in the hallway out. Someone had draped the blanket from his bed over him as well, the material sliding off his shoulders as he sat up. There was no question as to who was responsible, so he wasn’t the least bit surprised to find a note on the keyboard of his still-open laptop, pinned under a bag of cough drops.

_Came to get you for dinner with Rans and Holster but you were asleep. There’s chicken and some of the better-looking sides in the fridge for you. Feel better. –Eric_

Bittle was something else. Jack smiled, pulling the blanket closer around himself. He thought back to the concerned look on the younger man’s face that morning, remembered the hand tenderly pressed to his skin, checking his temperature. Tearing off the bottom of the note, he scribbled his thanks and an attempt at a smiley face on the strip of paper, slipping it under the other’s door on his way down to the kitchen.


End file.
